Samson Lasaulce
Chief Research Scientist, Khalifa University, UAE
Title: LLMs, optimization, and game theory
Abstract:
In this talk, we will explore the interplay between large language models (LLMs) and optimization. After introducing a use case (consumption power scheduling) for which studying this interplay is fully relevant, we will survey the main approaches in this area, which include pure LLM-based approaches (e.g., to deal with mathword problems) and combined approaches. Both limitations and promising solutions will be discusssed. In the last part of the talk, connections between LLMs and game theory will be discussed.
Biography:
Samson Lasaulce is a Chief Research Scientist with Khalifa University. He is the holder of the TII 6G Chair on Native AI. He is also a CNRS Director of Research with CRAN at Nancy. He has been the holder of the RTE Chair on the "Digital Transformation of Electricity Networks". He has also been a part-time Professor with the Department of Physics at École Polytechnique (France). Before joining CNRS he has been working for five years in private R&D companies (Motorola Labs and Orange Labs). His current research interests lie in distributed networks with a focus on optimization, game theory, and machine learning. The main application areas of his research are wireless networks, energy networks, social networks, and now climate change. Dr Lasaulce has been serving as an editor for several international journals such as the IEEE Transactions. He has organized many scientific events and 10+ as a general chair. He is the co-author of more than 200 publications, including a dozen of patents and several books such as "Game Theory and Learning for Wireless Networks: Fundamentals and Applications". Dr Lasaulce is also the recipient of several awards such as the Blondel Medal award from the SEE French society.
Davor Svetinovic
Khalifa University , UAE
Title: Beyond Blockchain Censorship
Abstract:
This talk will present and expand beyond our recent published work on Blockchain Censorship. First, we’ll present how despite permissionless blockchains are designed to be resilient against censorship by any single entity. They are relying on deterministic rules rather than third-party actors to determine whether a transaction is added to the blockchain. However, in 2022, the U.S. Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctioned a Bitcoin mixer and an Ethereum application, challenging this presumed neutrality. In this paper, we formalized, quantified, and analyzed the security implications of blockchain censorship. We began by defining censorship and then conducted a quantitative assessment of current censorship practices. Our analysis revealed that 46% of Ethereum blocks were produced by entities complying with OFAC sanctions, highlighting the substantial influence of these sanctions on the neutrality of public blockchains. Furthermore, we found out that censorship not only undermines neutrality but also compromises security. Following Ethereum's transition to Proof-of-Stake (PoS), censored transactions experienced an average delay of 85%, weakening their security and increasing the vulnerability to sandwich attacks. We will also present our most recent advances that build upon our Blockchain Censorship paper [https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3589334.3645431]
Biography:
Davor Svetinovic is a professor of computer science at Khalifa University, Abu Dhabi He received his doctorate in computer science from the University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON, Canada, in 2006. Previously, he worked at WU Wien, TU Wien, Austria, and Lero - the Irish Software Engineering Center, Ireland. He was a visiting professor and a research affiliate at MIT and MIT Media Lab, MIT, USA. Davor has extensive experience working on complex multidisciplinary research projects. He is a highly cited researcher in cybersecurity and blockchain technology. His research interests include cybersecurity, blockchain technology, cryptoeconomics, trust, and software engineering. His career has furthered his interest and expertise in developing advanced research capabilities and institutions in emerging economies. He is a Senior Member of IEEE and ACM (Lifetime) and a Mohammed Bin Rashid Academy of Scientists affiliate.